Day 5, Saturday 8 Feb 2014

I'm sitting at MacDonalds at Bulli using the tablet. So this will be the first chance to put some words to the pictures as using the phone is still a challenge for me.

Last night I stayed at Mark and Melissa's house. Melissa is the oldest daughter of my cousin Peter and his wife Lyn. Their baby boy, Xander is one of only two young children I know who doesn't get scared thefirst time he sees me. The other is another of Peter and Lyn's grandchildren, Ella.  Melissa and Mark have a great house in a town just south of Royal National Park.

Today I am off to spend a few days at Sussex Inlet to catch up with Tony. Tony is another member of Horizons Unlimited; he attended his first meetingat Cavendish, Victoria in 2013 andhas put his hand up to organise a meeting in NSW and we plan to visit a few potential sites.

The sun is out and the bike is fuelled up. It should be a good ride but that doesn't stop me from thinking about the family back home and missing them all.

Day 4, 7 February 2014

You may be wondering why I haven't had too much to say. Still getting used  to using a blogger app on the phone. Anyhow, along the coast at The Royal National Park.

Additional stuff added on 8 Feb 2014:

This is the lookout a group of us led by my friend Dan, stopped at some years ago. One of the group, Jarrod, decided that he wanted a photo of his bike as close to the edge as possible and rode it straight through a gap in the armco and parked it very close to the edge. Very freaky. Royal National Park is lovely has lots of short walks through it.

Today is Friday, so it must be day 4.

On my way to Royal Nathional Park.

Some more day 3 images

Security was not happy!

Today I had the chance to grab an iconic photo of the bike in front ofthe Sydney Opera House. At the same time as a Chinese rider on his BMW GS and a busload of camera-happy Chinese tourists. I'm sure you can imagine the result! Ah well, my 7 minutes of fame.

Another Day 3 picture

Where every self respecting motorcyclist must visit

Day 3, Thursday 6 February 2014

Morning tea and a place to study for a while.

Day 2, Wednesday 5 Feb 2014

Wet, wet, wet. But unlike previous trips I was far better prepared. So this day was basically a highway push through the rain and got as far as Taree. When I booked into a motel there, I was wishing to be in the USA, where standards and prices are very different.

A new February, a new trip. Tuesday 4 Feb 2014

Today I headed of on what has become an annual pilgrimage to the Adventure Travel Film Festival. This is the third running of the festival and if I arrive safely, it will be my third time there. I'm not confident I will make it in 2015, we will have to see how my university studies go.

This year I am doing a few things different. No laptop; I'm using my Samsung android phone and tablet to update the blog and keep in touch. That will save three kilograms of weight off the bike. I've also replaced the bike's battery with a more power Lithium battery which makes it crank better and gives another three kilogram weight saving. The cooking gear has been left at home as there are plenty of places to buy healthy food at decent prices and the tyre changing gear has been left behind as well.

One my first day I stopped overnight at Haydn and Diane's, a couple of motorcycle world travellers extraordinairres and very inspiring.  They will be the official photographers for the next Horizons Unlimited meeting in Beaudesert, Queensland in October 2014.

Here is the view from their front balcony.